Mediators trained, ready to help out students' conflicts

By NIKKI VELISARIS
Collegian Staff Writer

How to get along with others is usually taught in kindergarten, but disagreements are still common among college roommates and friends. The Penn State Peer Mediation Program, which began this semester, hopes to help students get past such problems.

By having a third party consider both sides of an argument, the program provides a service where emotional issues are separated so students can focus on issues to be resolved, said Roshani Herath, a student coordinator for the program.

In November, interested students underwent 20 hours of intensive training from judicial officers from Penn State, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois to become certified peer mediators.

Fifteen student mediators are active in the program. Most mediators are from the Undergraduate Student Government department of legal affairs and Student Counselors.

However, independent students also can become mediators.

Since the program requested funding from the University Park Allocation Committee, it is required to accept all students, said Barbara Copland, associate director of Judicial Affairs.

The peer mediators have completed mock mediations to prepare for real situations but have not yet received any student requests for mediation.

Copland said many students have expressed interest in the program, but she feels it will take time before students are familiar with it and begin scheduling mediations.

"We would like to do mediations, but we are not discouraged by the slow start," said Beth Silvia, USG legal affairs director.

An agreement is never guaranteed, but the mediating process at least gives both parties a chance to discuss the issue, Silvia added.

Everyone involved in the dispute must be willing to mediate.

Anything discussed during the process is completely confidential, and peer mediators dispose of any notes after the session.

Most importantly, the mediators have to stress their neutrality and confidentiality to the students, Herath said.

The mediators offer suggestions, but students have to come up with the solutions themselves, Copland said.

The mediation process takes about two hours, and if the problem is resolved, mediators will check to make sure both parties are following the guidelines set by the agreement.